Local man regains his speech after stroke

By Kristen Shanahan&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Sat 2:36 PM, May 05, 2012

DENISON, TX -- About 14 million Americans are affected by speech and language disorders and an estimated 28 million people suffer from hearing loss that is why hundreds of people are trying to raise awareness by celebrating Better Hearing and Speech month.

Angelo Weda says on February 12th of this year he woke up to find he could not speak.

"I made my living talking for 30 years and couldn't put two sentences together," Weda said.

Sometime during his sleep Weda had a stroke. An event he says changed his life.

"You wake up and you can't talk can't put words together and just humbling is the word," Weda said.

Weda works as a contract negotiator and says communication is a big part of his job. He says he has always been a healthy outspoken person and not being able to read, write, or even say his ABC's was downright frustrating.

"To be so involved with work and family and be such a verbal person so active and vital and then have your communication taken away, very very devastating," Speech Language Pathologist Marianne Marburger said.

But now just a few months down the road Weda has already come a long way. He says thanks to both of his Speech Pathologists Marianne MarBurger and Terry Taylor he has just about regained everything he lost back.

"I have no problem talking on the phone, I do contracts everyday, and do emails and use my computer, but I'm thankful for Terry and Marianne and thank God for them everyday," Weda said.

"He said a lot about how wonderful we did and helped him, but by and large, you know he has done the work we only showed him what we needed him to do," Speech Language Pathologist Terry Taylor said.

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